


In Sickness and in Death

by Sparrow_Girl1998



Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Poldark - All Media Types
Genre: Cancer, Character Death, F/M, Post-Divorce, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 18:30:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19278994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparrow_Girl1998/pseuds/Sparrow_Girl1998
Summary: When Julia Poldark in diagnosed with terminal cancer, Demelza and Ross are forced to put aside their differences to care for their daughter in her last few days. However, being together brings up memories both good and bad for the couple.





	In Sickness and in Death

**Author's Note:**

> Italic text indicates flashbacks. Please comment and give kudos if you liked the chapter.

The doctor’s words ran over Demelza’s head. Terminal leukemia is what the doctor said or did he say something else? Her sweet little Julia could not have leukemia and that too terminal. She tightly clenched her fists.

“There are some treatments we can offer to prolong her lifespan..” She vaguely heard the doctor saying.

It had begun this morning when Demelza was getting Julia, Jeremy and Clowance ready for the day and she herself for her job as a private music tutor when Julia had collapsed. And after the collapse, her body had begun to shake violently. Demelza had rushed her to the hospital which was thankfully quick to reach given that it was early in the morning. Verity had been kind enough to babysit Clowance and drop Jeremy off to school. Demelza had been waiting the entire morning and afternoon in the children’s wing of the hospital as the doctors and nurses ran various tests on Julia.

How could Julia have cancer when she had seemed perfectly healthy yesterday? She was jumping around with her younger siblings on a trampoline Ross had gifted the children as an early Christmas present when he had visited them last. Speaking of Ross, she would have to let him know as well. Her ex-husband ran a successful public policy think tank in New York and was a professor of political science at Columbia University. He had earlier taught in London School of Economics but following the divorce he took up the offer he had been putting off for many years from Columbia. She knew Ross had a kindred connection to New York. After his father’s death, Ross had been left with no family and a pittance of an inheritance. Disgruntled with his life, Ross left England and lived in New York for two years doing odd jobs to get by. It was here that he became friends with Dwight Enys, Julia’s godfather who was studying medicine at the time in New York. When Ross decided though that he would finally return to England to pursue a bachelor’s degree, his longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth broke up with him given that Ross had sped off to New York without a word to her. Adding further salt to Ross’ wounds, Elizabeth began dating Ross’ cousin, Francis, a proper Eton educated boy who was pursuing a degree in finance in Cambridge.

The doctor had left her in the waiting room with the promise that Julia would be up in a while. She had to remain composed in front of Julia and not break down. She removed her phone from her jean pocket. Demelza dialed her ex-husband’s number which she for some reason knew by heart. She hoped he was awake because it was still night in New York. After a few rings, a familiar voice answered the line.

“Demelza, is everything okay?”

Bless Ross for cutting to the chase. He would know that Demelza was not the type to call him for a casual chat in the middle of the night.

“No, it is not. Listen Julia has been hospitalized…”

“Demelza, I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

*

_Demelza looked down at her drab yellow dress and her knee length rain boots. There wasn’t much money left after looking after her brothers and father to buy pretty clothes. Still she wished she had for Cambridge was filled with rich students who probably lived in large mansions with private jets._

_She had taken the job up at the library because she needed money. After her father had financially cut her off after she went against him to attend college, Demelza had been fending for herself. She occasionally liked to send some money to her brothers as well especially Drake since he was still a growing boy who needed good food to keep on growing taller._

_George Warleggan and his little posse of friends rarely frequented the library despite George topping his finance class. His group was made up of rich kids, both old and new money. There was Francis, the heir to one of the largest mining fortunes in the world and John whose father ran one of the fastest growing tech companies in England._

_She suddenly realized that George and his friends had come awfully close to her, something they did not do normally._

_“Is this the girl you were telling us about, John?” George remarked._

_“Yes. Isn’t she quite the looker? Rather plain clothes but with a few fix ups here and there she could be looking better than Elizabeth.” John replied._

_Demelza continued putting the books back into their respective shelves and acted as though she had not heard the entire conversation the boys were having._

_“Well if Ruth hears about this then it will be you having the fix up.” George laughed._

_John glared at George before approaching Demelza._

_“Is there anything you want?” Demelza asked without looking at him while continue to shelve the books._

_“My lads were wondering here if you are interested in attending Francis’ birthday party here.” John answered._

_“I don’t know any of you.” Demelza quipped back._

_Suddenly John stopped talking for reason. Glad that he had done so Demelza continued putting the book back without noticing the lean figure looming over her._

_“Ross, long time that we haven’t seen you.” George said._

_Demelza turned around to see none another than Ross Poldark standing behind her. He was lean and dressed in a well-fitting grey sweater with black jeans. He had a riot of black curls and a scar decorated one of his cheeks. He had a shadow of a beard._

_This must be the elusive Ross Poldark, cousin to Francis Poldark. However, if rumors were believed to be true, Ross’ father had not received much of the mining fortune and had not left much for his only son. After his father’s death, Ross had left to New York for some much needed soul searching. He completed his high school diploma there but instead of joining university immediately, he had joint the military for three years before returning to Cambridge to do his university studies on a full scholarship._

_“Why you lads troubling this woman?” Ross asked clearly irritated with George, John and Francis’ behavior towards her._

_“Ah Ross, just a bit of fun. I’m sure she wasn’t offended or anything.” George replied twirling an end of his blonde hair in his finger._

_Demelza decided to intervene not wanting to a fight between this men over this issue._

_“I’m fine really.” She said to Ross looking up at him._

_“You wankers better get lost.” Ross continued despite Demelza’s protest._

_George gave an angry look but the three moved away from her and then out of the library._

_“You should be wary of those three. They aren’t the best men out there.” Ross said._

_Demelza couldn’t help herself from asking, “But isn’t Francis your cousin?”_

_“Cousin by blood yes. But we are made of different soil. There was time when we could not be separated but since he started hanging with George, he has changed for the worse.”_

_Demelza couldn’t help but stare asRoss made his way out of the library with a book bag slung over his shoulder._

*

The next day when Ross arrived, Demelza was glad to see him. She couldn’t bear this herself and she needed him to be there for Julia as well. She was surprised to see that Ross had cut his curls and grown a beard (something like Aidan Turner's current look. Google it, you will find it). His shirt had coffee stains on it though and he was in his pajamas.

“How is she?” He asked approaching Demelza.

“They have stabilized her for now. The doctor was saying we should consider setting up a hospice at home so that she is able to live her last few days in peace.”

Clearly frustrated, Ross clenched his fist.

“Are you sure there isn’t any way to save her? Maybe we should shift her to another hospital?”

Demelza was suddenly angry at Ross. As if she had not tried that. She had sent all of her daughter’s reports to the most reputed oncologists in UK with a hefty fee and all of them had come up with the same diagnosis.

“You don’t think I’ve tried that already! Everyone is saying that they can’t save her.”

Demelza crumpled on the floor overcome with emotion. Grief because her daughter was going to die, helplessness because she could not do anything to prevent it and anger towards herself that she could not help her daughter at all. Ross kneeled in front of her and hugged her. She cried into his shoulder and craved his smell which was cologne and something sea like which was truly Ross. He stroked her hair and despite all the pain he had put her through in the past few years, she felt at home in his arms, something which Hugh had not be able to provide her.


End file.
